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Monday, Sept. 21, 2009 | 4:31 p.m.
Beating location
Metro Police issued a warrant Monday for the arrest of a teenager accused in the fatal beating last week of a 16-month-old boy.
The warrant charges 18-year-old Jocquise Coleman with two counts of child abuse with substantial bodily harm and child neglect with substantial bodily harm.
Police said Coleman was taking care of 16-month-old Lamaj Terry at an apartment complex at 5150 Spyglass Hill Drive while his mother went to work on Wednesday, the warrant stated. The toddler's mother told police she had known Coleman for about a month.
Police said neighbor children then alerted two residents of the complex that a toddler had stopped breathing inside an apartment.
The two residents rushed into an apartment and found the 16-month-old boy lying on a bed alone in the apartment, his lips blue and apparently not breathing, the warrant said.
The tot's mother returned from work and went to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, where the toddler was placed on life support. Doctors and later a coroner's examination revealed that the boy had bruises on his face, head and ribs, and that there was vomit in his lungs, the warrant said. A medical report on Lamaj Terry indicated his injuries were from "definite physical abuse."
Lamaj Terry died at the hospital Thursday after being pronounced brain dead and removed from life support.
Police said they believe Coleman may have fled to Los Angeles.
Anyone with information about Jacquise Coleman or where he can be found is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555.
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This is such a tragedy! That poor little, innocent baby! I blame the mother for this, as well as the young man who did it! What an irresponsible thing to do to leave her baby with an 18-year-old young man whom she has only known for a month! She left her precious baby with a stranger! Now she has to live with that the rest of her life! I wonder if there's a father in the picture? This should be a lesson for other mothers out there----BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WHO YOU LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN WITH! DO NOT LEAVE THEM WITH PEOPLE YOU HAVE KNOWN A SHORT TIME, NO MATTER HOW NICE THEY SEEM. YOU HAVE TO KNOW A PERSONS' CHARACTER A LONG TIME BEFORE YOU TRUST THEM WITH YOUR PRECIOUS CHILDREN. The young man has to be accountable for his actions, and for his vicious temper.
This WAS a tragedy...I do blame mom first of all, you dont leave your child with no one that you JUST met. Second my question is why does she work at a child child facility and she had NO child care??? And third the truth will come out, about what REALLY happened. Yes the young man in question was there, but who knows what has been going on in her home looong before he was in the picture?? So we need to remember INNOCENT until proven GUILTY!! God knows what really happened, therefor we need to get on our knees and pray, and stop making judgement on things we don't know FULL details about.
ok. i admit a made a mistake that i will have to live with until its time for me to go with my son..but none of you should be judgeing me..you do not know me. therefore keep your negative comments to yourself god does not like ugly and he will be the one that you have to deal with come judgement day..